Subaru Outback News

Subaru shows how the new Outback can rekindle your kids’ interest in the great outdoors. The new fourth-generation Subaru Outback SUV isn’t expected to arrive on our shores until early next year, but the Japanese brand’s marketing is already in full swing in the US where it’s already on sale.This new Outback television ad highlights a situation that parents have battled for generations; general disinterest from the back seat. Promising the same balance of on-road refinement and off-road durability that made the first three generations such a family favourite, Australian buyers should have no trouble spotting our own range of wildlife with the Outback – given a local Bison sighting is a bit of a stretch.

Following the debut of the new Subaru Liberty sedan at Chicago motor show in February, the Outback is headed for unwrapping at the New York motor show on April 16.Subaru's teaser image shows us the expected face with headlight and grille cues familiar from the Liberty, but we're yet to get a look at the lines -- and importantly the profile -- of the wagon body.The Levorg Concept that starred at Tokyo motor show in November last year gives a few clues to what we might see when the silk comes off the Outback, and at this stage it's not known whether any of that will also morph into a Liberty wagon.Subaru is also yet to confirm engine and transmission details for the Outback, but the closely-related Liberty was unveiled with the carryover options of a 2.5-litre four-cylinder and 3.6-litre six-cylinder, both mated to CVT (continuously variable) automatics.Both have been tweaked to offer better drivability and economy, with the 2.5-litre developing 130kW/236Nm (up 3kW/1Nm) but the 3.6-litre now 190kW/335Nm (down 1kW/15Nm) with claims of improved fuel efficiency and better mid-range torque. It's possible we'll also see the continuation of a diesel under the bonnet, with similar enhancements for the current 2.0-litre.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Subaru has just unveiled the 2015 Liberty sedan at Chicago motor show last week, and it looks like we'll have only a couple of months to wait before seeing the new Outback, with reports it will bow at the New York show in April.Subaru is yet to reveal the engine line-up, but there is likely to be little change from the current 127kW/235Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder and 191kW/350Nm 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol units plus a 110/350Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel.Six-speed manual and CVT transmissions are also tipped to continue, with the six-cylinder model following its Liberty basis in dropping the five-speed auto for a CVT also.All will continue to roll on Subaru's all-wheel drive system, and high-specced versions will get the latest development of the brand's Eyesight safety system with larger monitoring fields and better detection of obstacles and pedestrians.The design is likely to follow that seen on the Liberty, with a sleeker face and more sharply raked windscreen, while the interior upgrades are tipped to include higher quality materials to better arm the Outback in an increasingly competitive field -- where non-prestige brands are upgrading their offerings, and premium brands are repositioning to target more volume.The current Outback starts at $38,990 but tops out at $57,990. That puts it within whistling distance to the Volkswagen Touareg, and about $12,000 to the Volvo XC90 and Lexus RX.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

We're so used to seeing gleaming perfect vehicles in car ads that we occasionally wonder if cars even get dusty in that world -- let along collect the occasional scrape or scuff. So it's startling to see Subaru make such a huge departure from the norm in showing a car that has been reduced to a write-off -- horrifyingly mangled.The commercial, created by Carmichael Lynch for Subaru of America shows a totalled Subaru Outback after what must have been a horrific crash. And it hasn't come out of the props department, either -- this was a car that had actually been in an accident.The Outback passes by a series of people, including emergency services, police and the tow-truck driver, with the only comment from each being "they lived", following which we see a family getting into a new Outback, with dad adding "we lived".Seeing the crumpled wreckage of the Outback is supposed to showcase the vehicle's top crash safety rating, but there's always the risk that the imagery (and the reminder of death) could actually put people off the model instead of attracting them to buy it.Watch the ad and tell us what you think? If this was showing a model you were considering, would it deter you or convince you to buy it?This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

None of us wants to crash our shiny new car but, if we do, we want to know we're safe. That's where the Australian New Car Assessment Program's standardised crash-testing analysis is invaluable, providing comparable ratings for vehicles of all types.The ANCAP site notes that a one-star car is twice as likely to kill you as a five-star model. Carsguide examines ANCAP's results to find the best of breed in each segment. It's worth noting the advanced software in some cars that readies the vehicle if a crash is imminent are disabled during the official tests. Cars are scored out of 37 points after the following tests.FRONTAL OFFSET TEST: The subject vehicle is accelerated to 64km/h and rammed into a deformable alloy barrier to simulate a head-on crash. To increase the severity and reproduce real-world conditions only 40 per cent of the car hits the wall - equating to a driver swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle.SIDE IMPACT TEST: The T-bone hit rams a 950kg trolley into the side of the car at 50km/h. The sled has an alloy face to simulate the front of another vehicle, which deforms and absorbs some of the impact.PEDESTRIAN TEST: Simulates the results of hitting a pedestrian at 40km/h. The test assesses adult and child impacts, given their heads and limbs strike different areas of the car.POLE TEST: This is the most demanding test in the ANCAP repertoire. Trees and poles don't deform, so all the crash energy is transferred to the vehicle. The car is put on a sled and propelled towards a fixed steel pole at 29km/h.SAFEST SMALL CARSAUDI A3 36.41 See reviews of this carOfficially the best small car to occupy in an accident. Impressively, the windscreen pillar didn't move after a 64km/h hit with the concrete block.  HONDA INSIGHT 36.39 See reviews of this carIts score reflects a 3mm movement of the pillar in the frontal offset test and "slight risk" of serious leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 1 SERIES HATCH 36.33 See reviews of this carThere's a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver in the frontal and side crash test and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger in the frontal crash.   SAFEST MEDIUM CARSMERCEDES B-CLASS 36.78 See reviews of this carTops the charts with the highest score of any car in ANCAP database. Technically there's a 4mm movement of the front pillar and a slight risk of injury to the passenger leg closest the door.  BMW 3 SERIES 36.76 See reviews of this carBarely behind. It showed a 1mm movement of the pillar and there was a slight risk of serious injury to the driver's and passenger's legs.VOLVO V40 36.67 See reviews of this carThe only loss of points occurred during the frontal crash test, with a slight risk of serious injury to the front occupants' legs closest the door and the driver's chest.SAFEST LARGE CARSTOYOTA AURION 36.59 See reviews of this carFirst place in this class makes it the only locally built vehicle in any top-three line-up. There's a slight risk of lower leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 5 Series 36.53 See reviews of this carNot a bad place to be in the event of an accident either. It blitzed the side impact tests and only lost fractions of points in the head-on hit.    VOLVO S60 36.34 See reviews of this carSweden maintains its safety credentials. The passenger compartment stayed intact with only a 1mm movement of the front pillar.    SAFEST COMPACT SUVS SUBARU XV 35.53 See reviews of this carLike the slightly lower-riding Impreza, the XV scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.    HOLDEN TRAX 35.18 See reviews of this carThe surprise packet. One of the smaller cars in the class has only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.   Skoda Yeti 34.67 See reviews of this carDepite being one of the older examples in this segment, the Yeti still rates well for safety, with only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.    SAFEST MEDIUM SUVSVOLVO XC60 36.53 See reviews of this carANCAP says the cabin 'held its shape extremely well" in the frontal test, with the pillar shifting just 3mm. There was a slight risk of serious chest and leg injuries to the driver.  FORD KUGA 36.33 See reviews of this carA solid second, posing a slight risk of serious chest injury for both front seat occupants. The front pillar moved 15mm.   HONDA CR-V 35.91 See reviews of this carPlaced well despite being penalised for the foot-operated park brake moving upwards and back. Structurally there was only a 2mm movement of the pillar.  SUBARU FORESTER 35.64 See reviews of this carTested this year, it scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.   SUBARU OUTBACK 35.52 See reviews of this carFills the brand's quinella. Crashed in 2008 and at the time topped the charts as the safest vehicle ANCAP had tested. SAFEST LARGE SUVSMERCEDES-BENZ ML 36.34 See reviews of this car Luxury SUV has a slight risk of serious chest injury for driver and passenger in the head-on hit and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger. The pillar moved 2mm. RANGE ROVER 36.19 See reviews of this carBig Brit has a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver and the pillar shifted by 15mm.   NISSAN PATHFINDER 35.73 See reviews of this carSlight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. Unlike the other two, it applies to the upper leg as well as the expected lower-leg hits. Docked points for a marginal pedestrian impact result.

Subaru has toughened up the look of its Outback SUV with rugged and aggressive styling cues that underline its all-wheel drive ability.The Outback offers genuine dirt road credentials and competent handling, combined with refined passenger car comfort, with the added insurance of a five-star occupant safety rating.Responding to demand for improved ruggedness, the MY14 Outback features unpainted plastic front and rear under body guard protectors, side sills and cladding, wheel arch guards and front mudflaps.“We’ve had a lot of customer feedback suggesting owners would like a slightly tougher-looking Outback with greater body protection, which is especially useful on rural roads,” Subaru Australia Managing Director Nick Senior says.The Outback’s new look is completed by roof rails with integrated cross bars, a dark grey front grille and alloys, and headlights with tinted surrounds. Subaru values the upgrades at $2500, but prices increase by just $500 for each variant.The styling upgrades are standard on all Outback models, however customers not wanting the full kit have the option to specify just roof rails, side sills, grille and alloys, or the headlights.A $1500 option pack remains available for the entry Outback 2.5i, which adds satnav, leather trim, rear aircon vents, powered driver’s seat, electroluminescent gauges and colour information display – all features that come standard on Premium models. The MY14 Outback update follows a number of technical refinements applied to Outback models earlier in 2013. PRICINGSubaru Outback 2.5i CVT auto - $38,990Subaru Outback 2.5i CVT auto option pack - $40,490Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium CVT auto - $43,490Subaru Outback 2.0D manual - $40,490   Subaru Outback 2.0D CVT auto - $42,990Subaru Outback 2.0D Premium manual - $43,490Subaru Outback 2.0D Premium CVT auto - $45,990   Subaru Outback 3.6R Premium auto - $57,990 

Echoing the design path of the Volvo XC70, Subaru Outback and Skoda Octavia Scout, the world number two manufacturer launches its Volkswagen Passat Alltrack mid-2012 as a versatile wagon that's also a competent soft-roader.VW says Alltrack is aimed at broadening the customer base of the popular Passat wagon. It's built on the all-wheel drive platform which gives it flexibility in varying road conditions.A VW spokesman said "There's no doubt there's a market for this type of vehicle. Volkswagen sees buyer interest there and just wants a bit of the action." For us, offering it with a diesel engine and DSG auto transmission gives it an edge that some rivals can't match."Alltrack made its international debut at the recent Tokyo motor show. It is based on the same AWD platform as the existing Passat 4Motion V6-engined wagon.That includes the latest Haldex AWD system now used in the Volkswagen Tiguan SUV. The Passat 4Motion is designed for on-road applications with its drive system the best way of putting 220kW to the ground.In the Alltrack, the focus is on all-road applications. It is expected that the Alltrack will use a 2.0-litre, 125kW turbo-diesel engine. Pricing will be unveiled closer to the launch date but it will be cheaper than the $57,990 of the Passat 4Motion wagon and more than the existing front-drive $45,990 2.0-litre diesel version.Volkswagen may be keen to match it up against the Subaru Outback diesel (from $40,990 as a manual only) and its own Skoda Octavia Scout diesel auto that costs from $39,990. The Volvo XC70 diesel auto is from $63,450.

The first ever Subaru Forester Diesel and Outback Diesel range. With an unbelievable fuel range over 1,000kms per tank1, they’re made to go the distance. Literally.With economical 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed turbocharged Boxer Diesel engines, five-star safety, six-speed manual transmissions and the brilliant traction and control of our Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, they’re an incredibly fuel-efficient and off-road capable range of diesels. Both are packed with smart technologies to make short work of big obstacles and smart convenient features to make even the longest trips seem shorter. So if you’re looking for a Diesel that isn’t just a Diesel, test drive one of our incredible Diesel’s today.They really are unstoppable. Visit subaru.com.au

... I don’t think we’d get too many arguments. Just take a quick look at their 2010 Legacy and Outback models and you’ll see what we mean. And we don’t think you’d disagree too much if we dared to say that the company hadn’t actually advanced its engineering capabilities that much either over the last two decades. Okay, they switched from twin-turbos to a single turbo setup on the Legacy back in the early part of the century and added their first 6-speed manual gearbox to the Impreza, but that’s about it.Well, all that’s about to change. With an all-new design direction, a brand new boxer engine range and that controversial tie-up with Toyota, expect to see some radical changes in the Subaru camp over the next 2-3 years. The first evidence of this rebirth comes in the form of their “Confidence-in-motion” concept unveiled at the recent L.A. auto show. That sharp looking design study might have been the base for its next Impreza, but those aggressive lines and proportions are what we can actually expect to see across the entire lineup. Just check out our two exclusive sketches, which reveal how one artist sees the Subaru version of the FT-86 due for 2012, as well as the Legacy Hybrid slated to debut in 2013. Ignoring the emotional phrasing (confidence-in-motion!?), we think that these two designs – especially that new signature grille and headlight combination - are right on the money and help transport Subaru out of the ‘dull and boring’ basket, and straight into the ‘time-to-pay-attention-to’ category.And that’s just where company’s rejuvenation starts. For those versed with Subaru’s well-known EJ-type boxer engine, which has powered nearly every model since 1989 (albeit in slightly revised variants), you will no doubt have heard about the brand new FB-type boxer engine, officially launched on September 23. That means that this engine is Subaru’s first all-new horizontally-opposed powerplant in 21 years!  The 1995 cc FB20’s claim to fame is its longer stroke, which means that it’s able to achieve maximum torque at lower revs, in addition to beefier power delivery and 10 percent better fuel consumption.The first model to employ the new FB20 engine will be the Subaru rendition of the ‘FT-86,’ co-developed with Toyota and due in 2012. Using that engine as a base, engineers will revise the head unit “by adding port injection” says one insider, to create a Toyota-like D4-S engine with around 200hp. And mated to a 6-speed manual, expect a 0-60mph sprint time of 7.5 secs.The third piece of Subaru’s next generation jigsaw puzzle is the addition of a hybrid to their Legacy lineup. After bolting on a special Subaru-tweaked Toyota THS II hybrid unit (with Atkinson Cycle technology) to a new FB25 engine, our source tells us that company engineers will then turbocharge it for better performance and fuel economy. By utilizing the most efficient characteristics of the boxer engine – its low center of gravity symmetrical layout – engineers will position lithium ion batteries on either side of the propeller shaft, thus extracting the most out of the Toyota-based hybrid system. Oh, and you can also expect to see all Legacy models employing CVTs in the near future, while automatic gearboxes will be phased out.So with some sleek new lines, a new coupe, a new engine range and a new hybrid, Subaru is reinventing itself. And not a moment too soon.

After leading the world on so many fronts - from quality to comfort and reliability - they have been hit badly by the global financial crisis.  Toyota and Honda and many of the others wound back dramatically at the onset of the GFC, not just on their production lines but also in their motorsport programs - F1 was the first casualty - and new-product development.We are now seeing the results in Australian showrooms, where the Corolla and Civic are now mid-pack in the small-car class and former pacesetters including the Mazda6, Honda Accord Euro and even the locally-made Camry are struggling against newer and better rivals.  They are fine for everyday transport, but not as impressive as they were just five years ago.Subaru has also cut costs and its latest styling work - particularly on the Liberty and Outback - reflects a desperate desire to win sales in the USA.  Contrast all of them against the Suzuki Kizashi, which comes from one of the few Japanese brands that held its nerve through the GFT. Suzuki has cut its production targets, and admits that extra Kizashi models are on the back-burner, but is going to do brilliantly well with the car.Toyota and Honda, in contrast, are relying on value-added deals to keep customers coming in Australia. They are recovering from the economic downturn but nowhere near as rapidly as some of their rivals  - particularly Hyundai.In Australia, many of our Japanese cars are now also actually built in Thailand. It's not a major drama, because the quality is much the same, but it shows how the battle to cut costs is influencing the Japanese makers. The Thai drive also shows that Japan Incorporated is now happy to produce bland transport modules instead of appealing cars, going for numbers first - in showrooms and on the balance sheet. It's a reasonable response to the GFC but is going to cause problems in coming years.Why? Because Australia is seeing so many classy European cars at more affordable prices - look at the Volkswagen Polo - and because Korean is coming up fast.  Hyundai is now doing a better job than Toyota at building Toyota-style cars, with adventurous styling, classy quality and great prices. It's latest, the i45 replacement for the dowdy Sonata, is really good on every front except its awful steering and lacklustre front suspension.The i45 is a Camry done better and, like the Kizashi, one of the stars of 2010. And it's not the end for Hyundai, which has all sorts of new models coming from the baby i20 to an overdue sporty car sometime in 2012.And that's whan the Japanese really could be in trouble. It's not because Hyundai has something new but because the Japanese wound their development programs back during the GFT and the results of that conservative risk management will not really be known until we see - or don't see - the work which should have been done over the past two years.Follow Paul Gover on Twitter!